Football Friday night -- 5 things to watch, etc.

Published: Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 02:29 PM.

1 – First meeting: It’s hard to believe Shelby and A.C. Reynolds – who aren’t only an hour and 15 meetings apart – have never met on the football field in anything other than a scrimmage.

Both teams have football tradition on their side with a ton of trophies/plaques accumulated through the years. Crest lined up against the Rockets the past four seasons in non-conference play and has encountered ACR in the post-season but this is a first for the Golden Lions.

2 – Old friends: Kings Mountain and East Gaston have a lot of ties going back to their days in the former Southwestern Conference in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Also, Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd and assistant Mark Latham formerly coached with the Warriors.

The two schools are lining up against one another for the first time since 2008. KingsMountain owns a 20-8 edge in the all-time series.

1 – First meeting: It’s hard to believe Shelby and A.C. Reynolds – who aren’t only an hour and 15 meetings apart – have never met on the football field in anything other than a scrimmage.

Both teams have football tradition on their side with a ton of trophies/plaques accumulated through the years. Crest lined up against the Rockets the past four seasons in non-conference play and has encountered ACR in the post-season but this is a first for the Golden Lions.

2 – Old friends: Kings Mountain and East Gaston have a lot of ties going back to their days in the former Southwestern Conference in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Also, Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd and assistant Mark Latham formerly coached with the Warriors.

The two schools are lining up against one another for the first time since 2008. KingsMountain owns a 20-8 edge in the all-time series.

3 – Gaston, again: For the second straight week, three ClevelandCounty teams are hooking up with Gaston opposition. The ClevelandCounty trio had a 2-1 edge last week.

This isn’t anything unusual – the past four years at least, Crest and KingsMountain were in the Big South Conference with the likes of tonight’s foes, Ashbrook and Hunter Huss, respectively.

4 – Surprising stats: The total number of passes thrown by county teams in last week’s opener was a bit revealing.

KingsMountain put the ball in the air 29 times, while Burns flung 20 passes down the field. Shelby went to the air only nine times while Crest only threw it five times.

Game situations (scoreboard, down and distance, etc.), the ability to block the other side’s defensive front, and the experience of quarterback/wide receiver combinations can play into that. It will be interesting to follow those numbers as the season continues to unfold.

5 – Mountain bound: The Gryphons from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy were excited to win big in their opener (51-6 at Lee Academy), but now will get a better idea what they are up against in the 1A ranks as they travel to face the Rosman Tigers. Rosman beat Brevard 40-27 in its opener.

TJCA knows the Tigers quite well, splitting a pair of games last season. The Gryphons won the regular-season matchup 28-27 on the road but dropped a 26-14 playoff contest at home in the opening round.

If you’re going…

Burns at Hunter Huss -- Take U.S. 74 East into Gastonia; turn right onto Myrtle School Rd., then take a left onto Hudson St. Go about 1.5 miles until you turn left at the second light (Health Dept. will be on right). The school is just ahead on the right.

Crest at Ashbrook -- Take Interstate 85 north to the New Hope Road exit in Gastonia. Turn right (south), cross Franklin Blvd. and continue on New Hope. The school is about four miles ahead on left.

Kings Mountain at East Gaston -- Take Interstate 85 north to the McAdenville exit, turn right and proceed through town, continuing straight as Main Street turns into Hickory Grove Road going north (back across 85). Continue about four miles and turn right on Lane Road. School is a half-mile ahead on left.